Negotiating for gender pay equality: Tips and advice

"If we were to look at the data around the gender pay gap, then women can actually go home by 3:29pm every - or put another way, they can stop working on 3 November each year," said Shai Ganu, Shai Ganu, MD at Willis Towers Watson for talent and rewards – ASEAN and South Asia, as he welcomed delegates to a Lean In - Fintech Asia event, in partnership with Willis Towers Watson.

Hosted by Dipali Ekbote, chapter leader, Lean In Singapore, and founder, Lean In Fintech SG and Asia, the event, attended by Human Resources, focused on negotiating for gender pay equity, aptly held on Equal Pay Day marked in some parts of the world.

The event featured a number of speakers sharing their stories around the fight for equitable pay across genders, and the larger gender equality discussion. Speakers included the following:

1. Joelle Pang, regional business development director, FastJobs Asia; head of regional business development, SPH Digital
2. Chanel Lim, client relationship director, Willis Towers Watson
3. Edwin Sudhakar, senior director of human resources, Virtusa
4. Deepti Sharma, client partner and senior director - global accounts, Virtusa

Another item on the agenda was a presentation by Lee Nallalingham, head of talent solutions, Stirling Andersen, on the pay negotiation checklist, which included the following pointers:

1. How do you know if you are underpaid?
2. What is a fair offer?
3. How does paying you more benefit the organisation?
4. Do you have another offer?

He also shared a useful checklist for professionals negotiating for stretch assignments:

1. Does your employer know you want to take on more responsibility?
2. Does your performance warrant being given more responsibility?
3.  Do you have the capacity to take on more?
4. How would this benefit the organisation?
5. Do you need to bring your partner or family onboard?

On the occasion, Willis Towers Watson's practice leader - global data services, Kar Ning Ho, also unveiled results of a survey of more than 400 companies on the gender pay gap in Singapore, sharing that women earn about 25% less than their male counterparts.

Further, the proportion of women employees decreases with each career advancement:

 

Ho added that the gender pay gap is most stark in Singapore's finance sector, standing at 47%, while legal and marketing sectors tied in at a 31% pay gap. For the HR function, the pay gap stands at 26%, equivalent to the pay gap in IT.

Lead image / Lean In - Fintech Asia All other images / Journalist's own